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"Use My Voice"
Use My Voice
Released August 14, 2020
Length 4:02
Producers Nick Raskulinecz
Label BMG
Chronology
The Bitter Truth
"Better Without You" "Use My Voice" "Take Cover"

"Use My Voice" is a song from Evanescence's fifth studio album, The Bitter Truth. It's the third single from the album. It was originally planned as the first single, but "Wasted on You" was chosen instead due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[1] It was rumoured it would serve as a soundtrack to Eric D. Howell's graphic novel The Revolution Of Cassandra,[2] but the song was inspired by it.[3]

Background[]

The song was registered on ASCAP in June 2020 and it was written with VERIDIA's frontwoman, Deena Jakoub.[4] It features backing vocals from female singers "to create the tidal wave of girl power": Lzzy Hale, Deena Jakoub, Lindsey Stirling, Taylor Momsen, Sharon den Adel, Amy McLawhorn (Troy's wife), Jen Majura, and Amy's sisters, Lori and Carrie.[5]

For the release of the song, the band teamed up with HeadCount which is a non-profit, non-partisan organization to help make it easy to register to vote for U.S. citizens. If you visit www.usemyvoice.org between August and September 30, 2020 to get yourself vote-ready (for U.S. citizens only), you will get access to a free, private online performance from Evanescence in October. For fans outside the U.S. they can pledge to vote here and they will also get sent the link for the performance nearer the time.[6]

Just like the previous singles, the song was premiered in a Zoom call with the band a day before its release. Fans who pre-saved it on streaming services entered for a chance to attend the Zoom call.[7]

On the release date, Amy explained the song:[8]

This is an era of awakening and full of powerful beauty. I hope to inspire others to seek truth, find their own voices and use them as I step up to use mine. Don’t let anybody speak for you. Only you can do that.

The single artwork contains the same moth from The Open Door's artwork, which is a homage to that era.[9] Amy told MTV News that "Use My Voice" was inspired by how she's been feeling about the state of the U.S.:

“As we were recording it, I was listening back to my own words and started asking myself, ‘What can I do to use my voice? How can we use our platform for good and empower people?’ I believe that this is a very important, revolutionary time,” she shares. “Things are messed up. I’ve never been political publicly — I’ve kept that part of myself private because I see music as a place to get away from our differences and find unity. We need to be unified now more than ever, but I finally feel in my heart that if I’m going to be true to my word. It’s time to use my voice to help promote our future.”[10]

Amy was also inspired to write the song after hearing the statement of Chanel Miller, who was sexually assaulted on the campus of Stanford University in 2015:[11]

"I was so inspired by her statement to her abuser at the end of the trial. The one thing they couldn't take away was her voice and her ability to simply speak her truth."

A 1-minute demo of the song was included on The Bitter Truth Evolution cassette that comes on the album's deluxe fan box set. A instrumental version of the song was included on Side B of the cassette.

Music video[]

Evanescence_-_Use_My_Voice_(Official_Music_Video)

Evanescence - Use My Voice (Official Music Video)

A music video was shot by Eric D. Howell in late July in Nashville, TN. A preview was shown during Amy Lee's CBS interview on August 26, 2020.[11] The video premiered on August 28, with Amy taking part of a live Q&A,[12] in which she revealed the video was shot in three separate shoots. One in Nashville with the guys and Amy, one in Cologne, Germany with Jen, and one in Minneapolis where Eric, the director, is from.

A behind the scenes video was released on September 9.[13] Watch it here.

Lyrics[]

Cover my ears and close my eyes
Just long enough to stop the noise
Go on take everything and throw it away
But I will use my voice

Drown every truth in an ocean of lies
Label me bitch because I dare to draw my own line
Burn every bridge and build a wall in my way
But I will use my voice

Whether you like it or not, you're gonna take what I got
If we can't talk about it, we'll just keep drowning in it
Give me credit or not
I give a lot, give a lot
But don't you speak for me

No, don't you speak for me

Never mind me, I'm a waste of your time
I'm never gonna fit in the box that you need
And I can read between the lines, yeah
Gather your friends and wave your gun in my face
But I will use my voice

Whether you like it or not, you're gonna take what I got
If we can't talk about it, we'll just keep drowning in it
Give me credit or not
I give a lot, give a lot
But don't you speak for me

But don't you speak for me

Whether you like it or not [x4]

One day soon it's gonna fall back on you
No more lies, we're gonna break right through
Like it or not

If we can't talk about it, we'll just keep drowning in it
Give me credit or not
I give a lot, give a lot
But don't you speak for me

No, don't you speak for me

Don't you speak for me!

Credits[]

  • Amy Lee - vocals, piano, keyboards, lyricist, composer
  • Deena Jakoub - composer, lyricist, guest vocals
  • Carrie South - guest vocals
  • Lori Lee Bulloch - guest vocals
  • Taylor Momsen - guest vocals
  • Lzzy Hale - guest vocals
  • Lindsey Stirling - guest vocals
  • Sharon den Adel - guest vocals
  • Amy McLawhorn - guest vocals
  • Jen Majura - guest vocals, guitar
  • Troy McLawhorn - songwriting, guitar
  • Tim McCord - songwriting, bass guitar
  • Will Hunt - songwriting, drums
  • Nick Raskulinecz - producer, mixer
  • Tiago Nunez - programmer
  • Nathan Yarborough - engineer
  • Logan Greeson - assistant engineer
  • Tyler Dragness - guitar tech
  • Chris (JC) Dires - drum tech
  • Ted Jensen - mastering engineer

References[]


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